


Double Jeopardy

by telltaleharto



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, im sorry, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-10-02 22:54:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17272691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/telltaleharto/pseuds/telltaleharto
Summary: Eight years ago, Beca left the city without a trace. Eight years ago, she walked away from the woman she loved. If life forces them back together, can they reconcile?Slowburn AU, where Chloe and Beca are childhood friends and ex lovers who find their way back to each other, and must reconcile with the past.





	1. 1

Slinging her coat off in the hall of her cramped home, she let the wet fabric hit the ground as she sat on the bench to shed her socks and shoes. The snow she had tracked in quickly melted into small puddles on the floor. The hall was dark, and she could hear the TV in the living room. She was late today. The babysitter would have to be paid extra.   
She stood up, stretched, and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Long brown hair framed a tired face, the beginning of wrinkles framing the blue eyes gazing back at her sadly. “You’re looking old,” she said to herself. “Life is making you old, Beca.”  
It wasn’t far from the truth. Beca had moved to the quiet little town some eight years ago, seeking a life of solitude and a place far away from her old friends to raise the child that was then growing inside her. Her friends meant well, of course. They did what most friends would do for a 23-year-old girl suffering through a breakup. They brought her alcohol and ice cream and movies that they thought would help her forget her lost love. She appreciated their efforts, of course she did, but none of them understood the true nature of the events that surrounded her departure. None of them understood what she had lost.   
Beca had been sixteen when she met Chloe. She was young, stupid, and impressionable, and Chloe was enthralling. She was ballsy. Adventurous. Things that Beca, what with her sheltered upbringing, was not. She was quickly swept up in the current that Chloe left in her wake, struggling to surface at first but realizing soon that going where the current willed was the only way to survive. The woman had completely changed her life, and had single-handedly been the catalyst for the events that would shape the rest of Beca’s life. It was easy to get lost in memories of her, but much, much harder to shake them. Harder to bring herself back to the present.   
Dragging herself from her reverie, Beca glanced back at the mirror. In truth, she didn’t look that old. Only tired, and a little worn out. If anything, work was draining her. She worked as a translator for a small company based in Chicago, and of all of her coworkers, she was one of the most dedicated and hardworking. She poured her heart into it, and she could only hope her bosses noticed this.   
Beca took a deep breath and tore herself away from the mirror, knowing that her little boy was waiting for her. It was getting dark outside. Delilah would have already fed him dinner and made him take a bath. He would be enjoying the second stretch of his two hours of television; probably just cartoon reruns.   
Almost as if she was in autopilot mode, she began to pad across the floor. Her bare feet hardly made a sound. She relished in the cold feeling of the hardwood, how the smooth wood refused to give way. She wished she was like it.  
When she came into view in the living room, Delilah immediately saw her and smiled. Poking Bailey, she said in a cheery tone “Look, Bay, your momma’s home.” The boy was a bundle of energy, bless him, and he bounded off of the couch as soon as he looked and confirmed that she was indeed there; tackling his mother around her waist, he cheered, “You’re home! You’re home!”  
Beca scooped her son up, letting his small arms wrap around her neck as she held him close. He smelled of bubble bath and chocolate cookies, and she was loathe to let him go, knowing that every time she did so he only grew older.   
Instead of letting him down, she carried him over to the couch. It was one of the first things she had bought upon moving to this little town. She had slept on it in her first nights here, miserable and lonely after leaving behind her friends and her life. She had made the decision to keep her son on that couch. She had went into labor on that couch, changed diapers on that couch, cried and laughed and raised a beautiful little boy on that couch.  
It was a good couch.  
Ruffling his already messy mop of curls, Beca grinned at her son. “How was your day, little man?”  
Bouncing excitedly on her knee, Bailey grinned back before answering.  
“Good! I passed my spelling test, an’ when Martha picked me and Jake up from school, she took us to the park!”   
Beca frowned slightly.   
“Which park? You know I don’t like the park that’s on the way home from your school.”  
“No, Mama! It was the one you always take me to. Martha said she don’t like that park either, ‘cause some of the older boys that go there are troublemakers.” Bailey said with a frown to mirror hers. Her worries soothed, she hugged him close for a moment. He squirmed, giggling. “Mom, let me go!” he said. “You’re squeezing me!” Beca sighed and let him go. “Alright, little man. It’s your bedtime anyways. Come on, I’ll read you a bedtime story.”  
After she put Bailey to bed, Beca came downstairs to find Delilah still in the living room, though she was now asleep on the couch. She smiled at the sight of the sleeping girl. Delilah was seventeen, and had been babysitting Bailey for four years. She was a part of their family at this point. Beca moved around the back of the couch to wake her. Stirring slightly, Delilah grumbled as she stretched and sat up. She rubbed her eyes. Looking around, she seemed to quickly realize that she had fallen asleep, and she shot Beca an apologetic look.  
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep. It’s just been a long day. Band practice was brutal and then Bay was super hyper, so I guess I was just worn out, you know?”   
Beca gave the girl a small smile, nodding as she said “I know the feeling. Today was a long day. I’m sorry I was so late, my boss had me working on a project that David couldn’t bother to finish before deciding he was taking off on vacation.” She rolled her eyes.  
Delilah shook her head, sighing. David wasn’t an unfamiliar figure to her, as he had often complicated her mentor’s life.  
“I don’t understand how he even has a job. You take up his slack all the time anyways, what’s the point of him even being around if he’s not going to do his job?”  
The question was met with a shrug as Beca’s phone pinged in her pocket. She fumbled with it for a moment, pulling it out and powering it on to see an email notification from her boss. She scanned the email quickly, frowning in confusion at his request for a meeting. Quickly tapping out a reply and pressing send, she looked back at Delilah with the same confused expression.   
“My boss wants to meet with me tomorrow. I’m not sure why, but I’m going to be late again. Is that okay? You know I’ll make it up to you,” she said, still holding her phone.  
“Yeah, that’s fine. As long as Bailey keeps behaving like he did today, everything will be okay. Do you think the meeting is about anything bad?”   
Beca shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. I’ve been pulling enough overtime lately that even if something was wrong, Alexander would excuse it. Either way… I should probably get some sleep. You should too. Do you want me to walk you home first?”  
“No, that’s okay,” Delilah said with a small smile. “I’m going to stop by Jerry’s house on my way.”  
Beca gave her a knowing smile and nodded. “Be safe, kid. Text me to let me know you got home okay.”


	2. 2

_ She was one of Beca’s sister’s friends. Amelia didn’t much like her younger sister, but over the years Beca had infiltrated her inner circle. Chloe, a new student, was a recent addition to the group. She was born and raised in L.A, and often told stories about her days there. It wasn’t known how much was true, but despite the air of fantasy to her tales, the little group ate them up. Coming from a small town, they had never experienced the kind of life that those hailing from big cities enjoyed.   _

_ The group spent their last two years in high school together, drinking and swapping stories under the stars. With them- no, with Chloe- Beca had become more adventurous. More outgoing and outspoken. It was a tumultuous time for all of them, as they loved and learned and became somewhat functional members of society. They were imperfect and flawed, but every member of that merry little band grew and became more than they were when they entered high school.  _

_ Chloe and Beca grew closer in their last two years of high school. Closer than everyone else had been. They would sit in the darkness of Chloe’s basement for hours, talking about everything that happened to them in their lives and the things that they hoped for. They joked that they were members of the “Dreamers Club,” a term their history teacher had sort of invented when talking about the 60’s. All they needed, in those moments, was each other.  _

_ It was no surprise that they ended up going to the same college, nor was it a surprise that they got an apartment together after a year. The proximity of the two, and the fact that they were removed from their families, meant that they only had each other to rely on. It didn't take long for Chloe to confess her feelings to Beca, or ask Beca on a date. One date turned into multiple. Soon, the two were official. They had plans- plans to get married, to buy a house, to adopt children. They were caught up in the novelty of their romance, and assumed that their love would last. That it would be enough to hold them down. It wasn’t.  _

Beca woke in a cold sweat, fingers gripping the sheets as if they were the only thing keeping her from floating away. She had been dreaming again, as she always ended up doing; the same dark hair and green eyes haunted her night after night. It was, at this point, a nightly routine. She would wake up half a dozen times, realize that she was still in her bed, and would try to calm down. It rarely worked, but she did try. Eventually, she would calm down enough to slip back into sleep. 

This time was no different. She rolled over, glancing at the alarm clock that glowed all too brightly in the darkness. It was five o'clock, about thirty minutes before she would usually get up and get dressed. A frustrated groan slipped past her lips. It was too late for her to go back to sleep, too early for her to be awake, and yet, here she was. Wide awake, and knowing she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep- especially when the email from last night was burnt into her mind. The small sigh she gave showed exactly how exhausted she was. With great reluctance, and an inordinate amount of disappointment, she got out of the bed, wincing when her feet hit the cold floor. Stretching, she headed towards the door of her bedroom, as the coffee maker was calling to her. She would need plenty of caffeine to make it through the day.

She burned through her daily routines, sipping coffee while she got together all of the things she had to take with her, while she got dressed, and while she woke up her young son. This was the hardest task for her, because Bailey had none of his mother’s sleep problems. The boy’s room could be demolished around him, and he wouldn’t even twitch. Eventually, the curly-headed little boy rolled out of bed, with the same lack of enthusiasm his mother had shown. He sat down at the table to eat his normal breakfast, as Beca went over her checklist of things she had to do today. Being as she was a single mother, even simple things like grocery shopping became more difficult. There was a lot on Beca’s shoulders. As she ran her mental drill, she couldn’t help but be reminded that she had been asked to meet with her boss first thing, and that she didn’t know what it could be. It weighed far more heavily on her mind than she had thought it would when she had gotten the email. Bailey noticed the far-away look in his mother’s eyes, and for once, he didn’t wait until he was told to clear his place at the table. She was vaguely aware of him turning the water on, rinsing off the plate, and setting it in the dishwasher before he came back to her and snapped her out of her reverie. 

Bailey wrapped his slender arms around Beca, hugging her tightly before giving her a small smile and a soft “I’m going to go get dressed for school, Mama. I love you.” 

His sweet, childish innocence nearly broke her heart in that moment, and she couldn’t help the way her eyes filled with tears as he skipped away. Beca had no clue that behind the door of his room, Bailey’s smile had turned sad as he thought of what could possibly have his mother so worried. The boy was wise for his years, and he knew what stress looked like on his mother. Whether Beca knew it or not, her son had grown up looking out for her. He had gotten incredibly good at knowing when a kind word or sweet gesture was needed; at this point, it was near instinctual. He began to dress for school with a heavy heart, hoping that whatever was wrong could be fixed. 

Back in the kitchen, Beca was trying to ground herself. She had always prided herself on being calm and collected. She was a rare sight in this small town; a single mother who was successful and well-made all on her own, without needing another person to take care of her and her child. Thus, she had to always present the image that she was as put together as everyone thought. Beca had made very few friends after she moved. She was afraid of letting anyone see who she really was, after what had happened to her in the city. Having been so hurt in her life, she couldn't help but become extraordinarily reserved. In order to protect herself and her son, she kept up a front. It was incredibly effective. 

It only took around five minutes for her to calm herself, to bring herself back to a normal state. The meeting couldn’t be about anything bad, she reasoned. She had been working overtime lately, finishing up work that was the responsibility of others and making sure her department ran smoothly. There was no real reason for Alexander to be angry with her. There were none more dedicated than her, none who worked near as hard as she did. She was a rare breed, according to her boss. Beca was, in a way, his ward; she had come to him as a heavily pregnant young woman who desperately needed a job and had no one to help her care for her child when it was born. He had granted her a job as a secretary, but upon realizing that she was near fluent in several different languages, she became a translator. Beca was good at her job, and her loyalty to the company inevitably meant she would be hardworking. In this way, Beca talked herself out of the panic that she could feel on the horizon. She did this often. It was a way to sort of reset her mood, to stop herself from overthinking everything. 

After pulling herself together, Beca decided to busy herself with the dishes. It was a task that wouldn't take her long, but would occupy her attention while she waited for Bailey. She quickly ran over a checklist in her mind. She had to stop at the store on the way home, and had to bring Michael the coffee she had promised him in return for his help with the work David had left behind. The rest of her tasks all pertained to work, and that was something she was trying not to think about. Mindlessly running a sink full of water, she lost herself in the monotony of scrubbing and rinsing the dirty dishes that had a habit of building up. She found a sort of peace in these moments, an overwhelming calm that allowed for optimism and hope for the future. In the moments when her hands were busy and her mind could drift, the years of stress and world-weary cynicism melted away. For a moment, she could pretend she was 23 with the whole world in her hands again. 

Bailey emerged from his room a few moments before she finished up the dishes. She was aware of his presence, but her focus was on the task at hand. He waited patiently for her to be done with the chore. He was able to sense the change in his mother's attitude, and naturally, he attributed the change to Beca having a task to occupy her attention, instead of just waiting for him to be ready to go. Draining the sink and drying her hands as she turned around, she fixed her gaze on him with a small smile. She loved her little son with everything she was. Every day, he was growing bigger and more mature. She was proud of her little man. She broke the silence of the morning, saying softly “Ready to go? Do you have your homework?”

He nodded, an answer to both questions. 

“Yes, mama, I have everything. Even the doctor’s note from Monday. I'm ready to go.”

They left the house earlier than they normally would have, but neither of them particularly minded that. It would give Bailey more time to turn in his doctor's note, before finding his friends to play cards. It would allow Beca the time to drop Bailey off, buy coffee, and still be early. She liked being early to work. She could settle in, get comfortable, and be in a productive flow by the time everyone else got there. This morning was a bit different, as she couldn't settle in and get to work, but she still preferred to be there early, in case anything went awry. Beca dropped him off at school, kissing his cheek and waving goodbye. She couldn't help but stare after him as he darted through the little crowd of children. An overwhelming sense that things were going to be very different from now on washed over her. 

She got to work in record time. There was a haze surrounding her; it kept Beca separate from the rest of her little world. Yet, no one else seemed to notice the haze. Not the baker or the barista at the café she stopped at, not the doorman of her workplace, nor any of the people she came across that morning. No one saw the veil of time and pain that separated her from them. 

When she arrived at work, she settled into her desk, trying to get a bit of work done before the meeting, but she couldn't focus. No matter how hard she tried, her mind refused to be tied down. Her consciousness was bobbing like a buoy on the sea of her anxieties, and with every passing moment, the waves only grew. Beca began tapping nervously as she stared at the clock. The veil was only obscuring her vision even more as she gazed intently at the gently ticking device. Before long, it was time to go. The haze followed her as she headed towards Alexander's office. She shook a little bit. It had seemed clear last night that she would be fine, but the little voice in the back of her head had spoken up since then. Doubts and fears seeped into the edges of her mind. She drew in a deep, rattling breath, the waves beginning to crash down in her mind as she opened the door of his office. 

 

_ “Are you going to tell your parents about what happened? I think they deserve to know.” _

_ “No. I… I'm not going to tell them.” _

_ “And what's going to happen when you show up with a kid? When they find out?” _

_ “They won't. They won't find out. I'm leaving the city… they won't find me. No one will.” _

_ “Come on, Beca, you can’t be serious. I get that you’re scared, but… You’re just going to disappear like that? Leave everyone in the dark?” _

_ “If that’s what I have to do.”  _

Beca was left numb after the meeting. She had gotten the promotion, as she had hoped, but the conditions…

She had to go back to the city. 

The city, that she had run away from. That held so much pain and so many memories. She had to go back. 


	3. 3

Beca accepted the offer of a promotion, of course.  It meant more money, and money was the key to everything. To ensuring that her son had a better life than Beca had. The next few days were a maelstrom of preparations, mingling with fear and distress. There was something that permeated the bustling activities of the next few days; it was gripping, and foul. Almost a decade separated her from the events that had changed her entire life, and coming back after so long… it felt  _ wrong.  _ The city wasn't hers anymore. She didn't know if Chloe was still there, but that wasn't what mattered. It was the idea of returning to the place that was rife with memories, and haunted with old, possibly familiar faces. There was always an itching feeling that she wouldn't be able to hide forever... but Beca had still tried. Now, the game was up. She was coming out of hiding.

She paced around the little, empty house. It seemed so much smaller, now that all of their things were gone. The entirety of Bailey's short life had been packed away into trucks, as well as Beca’s eight years here, and those trucks were now heading for the new house in the city. The terror was beginning to grip her again, but this time, her worries were centered around Bailey. The circumstances of his birth, and his life since, had been left intentionally vague. Beca was more than a little worried that new questions might come up, and she wouldn't be able to protect him anymore. There were so many bad things in this world. So much that her little man wasn’t prepared for. Was that her fault? Had Beca, in her over-protectiveness, ensured he would be too fragile? 

These pervasive thoughts wouldn’t leave her alone. Beca was in a thought spiral, one that gripped her and refused to let go, sinking its jagged and icy teeth into her very being. It wasn’t often that this happened, but when it did, Beca was often immersed in a funk for several days afterward. She would obsess over these thoughts for days, letting the worst possibilities make themselves stronger and stronger in her mind. It was a terrible place to be. Loneliness and despair were one thing. These self destructive thought spirals were another thing altogether. She couldn’t help but overthink, analyzing everything she had ever done in the act of raising Bailey. Had she made a terrible mistake? Would her son be weak?

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of the door closing. It didn’t slam, as it normally would if it was just Bailey coming in, which meant he had someone with him. Beca stiffened slightly. The fact that they were moving meant people would soon be wanting to say their goodbyes, no matter how unbearable the awkward friendships might have been. They would feign concern, promise to keep in touch, and then hug Beca with falsely damp eyes. Once Bailey and Beca had settled into their new home, none of their old “friends” would ever reach out to them. The silver lining, however, was that she would be pulled from her thoughts for a moment. She would be able to focus on something else. 

She was pleasantly surprised, though, when her son bounded in with Delilah close behind. The sad expression on the girl’s face tugged at Beca’s heart strings. Of all the people who had come in and out of their lives, Delilah was one of the only people Beca could see herself missing in the future. She would have a hard time trusting anyone else with her son. 

She would have a hard time trusting anyone, in general. 

_ Beca could hardly see the box or the items it was supposed to have in it through her tears. She had already changed her phone number, deactivated her social media accounts, and deactivated her email. She had switched banks, switched insurance companies, and collected the few belongings she had in the house she had shared with Chloe. She couldn’t get her security deposit back- no amount of scrubbing could get the wine stains from one too many late night wine fueled conversations out of the carpet. There was no way for her to hide the scuff marks from when Chloe moved all of the living room furniture by herself, or the hole Beca put in the wall when she came home to an empty apartment and a note saying goodbye. _

_ Beca couldn’t clean the memories out of that apartment.  _

She took a step forward, towards Delilah, and she held out her arms. Without hesitation, Delilah all but dove into them, hugging her mentor and hiding her face. Patting her back awkwardly, Beca couldn’t help but feel like she needed to escape, and after a long moment she pulled away. Delilah wiped at damp eyes, shaking her head before saying “I don’t know what I’m going to do without the two of you. I’m just… going to have to find something else to fill my time, I suppose.”

Beca fell silent, hugging her arms close to her as she looked down, hesitating. 

“I don’t know. You’re a fantastic babysitter… I’m sure you’ll be able to find new clients. You know you can always use me as a reference, if needed.” 

The girl nodded, and silence fell over the three of them, Bailey occupying himself by staring at the cracks in the paint on the walls. None of them knew what to say, weighed down by the knowledge that by tomorrow, all reminders of the Mitchell family’s life in this small town would be wiped clean, and their new lives elsewhere would have to begin, as reluctant as sap flows in winter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on tumblr @ telltaleharto! leave comments and tell me what you think


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these chapters are all so short!! I haven't had a lot of time to write, but 500-900 words at a time is a manageable goal. Hope you're liking the story so far!

The drive to the airport was nearly silent, both Bailey and Beca lost in their own mental puzzles. Bailey’s worries were simple. Like any little boy of eight years old, he was worried the kids at his new school would think he was a loser, and he couldn’t help but wonder how he would fit in. Bailey didn’t realize that his naturally warm and loving disposition would ensure he would never truly be alone in life. 

Beca, however, wasn’t worried about him fitting in. She knew he would be fine, and would make new friends quickly. Beca was worried about everything else that might possibly go wrong. What if Bailey hated his new school, or their new house? What if she didn’t do well with the new promotion and the new responsibilities placed on her? What if she ran into someone she used to know? 

That was what she was most afraid of. Her past was looming behind her, unforgotten and unresolved, and she wasn’t quite prepared for the boss battle ahead of her. If she saw one of her old friends, what would she say to them? What  _ could  _ she say?

“Hey, guys, sorry I disappeared without a trace, I was pregnant and terrified to stay so disappearing in the night was my only choice!”

That was bullshit. That sounded like bullshit, and she knew it. Leaving all those years ago, it had been the coward’s way out, so she didn’t have to face reality.

_ It had been five years since they had finally started dating. They both had finished their Bachelor’s degrees, though Chloe took a year longer than she was supposed to- Russian Lit was really kicking her ass. They had settled pretty well into domesticity- their apartment was decorated for every holiday, they had a joint bank account, and they had been discussing getting a dog. Life seemed perfect, or so Beca thought. Everything would soon fall apart, however, and Beca would realize how many of her plans and goals were just castles in the air. It all started with a phone call from one Aubrey Posen.  _

They got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Like a robot, Beca herded Bailey through security, through the terminals, and to their gate, which was already crowded with people to her dismay. She smiled sadly. Of course her last moments in this state would be surrounded by people she didn’t know, uncomfortable and anxious about her new life ahead. She heaved a deep sigh and sank down into one of the uncomfortable chairs, pulling Bailey down beside her. 

Everything around her seemed to wash out, slowly, and the sounds of the bustling airport faded away, only to be replaced by a sort of buzzing noise. Her chest felt tight, and her breathing was labored. Beca knew the signs, knew she was beginning to have a panic attack, and she tried her best to breathe deeply and slowly to calm herself down. The walls of the airport felt like they were closing in on her, and for a moment, she desperately wondered how she was going to survive getting on this airplane. The attendants began to call for passengers to board. 

Dragging herself out of her seat, she wordlessly offered Bailey her hand. His hand still was so small in hers. Knowing that her son was there with her grounded her, forced her to relax, and she forced down her panic as she turned to him with a smile. 

“Are you nervous, Bay? I was nervous the first time I flew. The engines are really loud, and takeoff is a little scary, but when you get up to altitude it isn’t so bad.”

Bailey, while clearly not as anxious as his mother, looked a little sick himself. 

“I don’t think I’m gonna like this. There are so many people…” he whispered, holding her hand tight. 

“Just stay close to me,” she whispered back. “Just stay close to me, and everything will be okay. 

Two and a half hours later, Beca was waking up a peacefully sleeping Bailey as people began to disembark. Takeoff had been rough, but he had always been one to fall asleep easily, and the rest of the flight had been a breeze. She was thankful yet again that he didn’t have her sleeping issues. 

Slinging their carry-ons over their shoulders, the mother and son fled the plane with urgency, neither one wanting to be stuck in the claustrophobic stranger-filled space any longer. They found their way out of the airport without wasting any time, and before they knew it, they were in a famous New York City cab, heading to their new apartment. 

New York is a big city, she thought. Surely I can stay lost in a big city. 

She didn’t know yet how wrong she was. 

Their new apartment was spacious, and well lit. It had an island in the kitchen, room enough for Bailey to have a play area and Beca to have an office for herself, and a nice living room that would be perfect for Bailey to have movie marathons with his new friends. She couldn’t help but fantasize about the future, about how their lives might finally become the daydream she had always wanted to live. Despite all of her fears, she desperately clung to foolish hope that things were going to get better for herself and her son. 


	5. *NOT AN UPDATE: ANNOUNCEMENT AND APOLOGY*

I will be back to writing this soon. Sorry about my hiatus!

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr @telltaleharto! maybe i'll actually write consistently lmao


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